Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Monday that Ukraine's recent incursion into the Kursk region prompting the evacuation of over 100,000 civilians and embarrassing the Kremlin—is an effort by Kyiv to disrupt Moscow's eastern offensive in the Donbas region and to gain leverage in potential future peace negotiations.
Putin, addressing security and defense officials, described the attack, which began on August 6, as Kyiv's strategy to improve its negotiating position by creating unrest within Russia. He claimed that this move has not achieved its goal and noted an increase in volunteers for the Russian military as a reaction to the attack. Despite the challenges, Putin asserted that Russia's military will continue its push in eastern Ukraine.
Acting Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov reported that Ukrainian forces have advanced 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) into Kursk across a 40-kilometer (25-mile) front and now control 28 Russian settlements. He also reported 12 civilian deaths and 121 injuries, including 10 children, with approximately 121,000 people evacuated from the conflict zone.
Smirnov indicated difficulties in tracking Ukrainian units, some of which are using fake Russian identification. The governor of the adjacent Belgorod region also announced evacuations from a district near the Ukrainian border, describing the situation as "alarming" without providing details.
Ukrainian forces quickly seized the town of Sudzha, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) over the border, and reportedly maintain control over its western part, where a key natural gas transit station is located. The precise objectives of the Ukrainian operation—whether to hold territory or conduct hit-and-run raids—remain unclear.
This incursion represents the largest attack on Russian soil since World War II and is the first time the Ukrainian army has led an incursion, as opposed to pro-Ukraine Russian fighters. It challenges Putin's efforts to project normalcy within Russia amid the ongoing war. State media have downplayed the attack and focused on the government's response, while criticism has emerged from figures like retired General Andrei Gurulev, who faulted the military for inadequate border protection.
The incursion has reignited debate over the use of NATO-supplied weaponry. While there have been reports of U.S. Bradley and German Marder armored vehicles being used, this information remains unverified. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that Italian weapons are not intended for attacks on Russian soil, while German Defense Ministry spokesperson Arne Collatz affirmed that international law permits self-defense on the attacker's territory.
In response to the incursion, Russia's Defense Ministry reported that reinforcements, supported by air and artillery, have repelled seven Ukrainian attacks near Martynovka, Borki, and Korenevo in the past 24 hours. Russian forces also blocked an attempt by Ukrainian units to advance further into Russian territory near Kauchuk and targeted Ukrainian troop concentrations near Sudzha and other settlements.
Analyst Pasi Paroinen from the Black Bird Group noted that Ukraine’s incursion is likely to challenge the Kremlin’s strategic assumptions and may lead to the deployment of additional Russian military resources along the border. The Institute for the Study of War highlighted that Russia's response to the incursion appears to be hastily assembled and disparate.
